River of Flames
by Shilara
Summary: While on an apparently diserted, very unique planet, SG1 meets a strange girl who could change their lives forever. Chapter four is finally up! please review, I have come back from a leave of absence, so read, please! REVIEW REVIEW. It can only get better
1. Survivor

River of Flames 

The ground was burning out from beneath her. She ran, scrambling madly, away from her now decimated home, clutching the single remaining aspect of her past to her breast, as the blood pounded in her ears, seeming to mimic the pulsating chaos that rammed her back as she left it behind. The haunting shrieks of the poor unfortunates below her, the ones unable to escape slaughter, echoed mercilessly again and again inside her brain. She tried, but could not block the roar of battle from her ears--a battle her people were obviously losing, and losing badly. But there was still hope. Still a shred of hope for them if…

A sudden explosion burst forth from the tiny cluster of homes behind her, jarring the earth and eliciting a strangled gasp of horror from the girl. Without thinking of the hazardous consequences of what she was doing, the girl whirled around, so fast she had to take care not to stumble and end up rolling down the hill on top of which she was now standing.

Even before she was all the way turned around, the girl's clear blue sapphire eyes were searching the rubble frantically for the source of that unmistakable sound. As she watched in shock, a huge, vicious plume of orange erupted from the center of the village, engulfing the structure in which it began, and the large battalion of enemy soldiers which clamored at the entrance. An entrance, a house that she knew; her own, and inside it, in all her fiery glory, stood Amauri's own mother, the Priestess of the People of the Flame, leader of one of the four religious sects (the Guardians of the Earth, the Warriors of the Wind, the People of the Flame--the one to which the girl belonged--and the Clan of the River--the Clan whose people had become a momentary enemy)…Her mother…dead, burned alive by her own flame, leaving a girl of eighteen and a newborn babe behind.

A terrible wave of cold panic enveloped the girl, draining the color from her face and causing her knees to go numb, as she stood, feeling the hope wither and die within her chest. "NO!" she dimly heard herself cry out in anguish, " _Mom!_ Qualadria!"

Someone below heard her, raised his weapon as though in slow motion, took aim--and fired. Amauri, stunned, saw the huge energy blast leave the shaft of the weapon and soar through the air toward her. Coming back to herself with a crash, Amauri tried to leap aside to avoid being hit. But too late.

It slammed into her right mid-thigh, hard enough so that it knocked her sideways. It took her a second to realize that not only was she on the ground, but the bundle in her arms was screaming. Before rising, however, the girl reached up and fingered the crystalline pendant to make sure that it was undamaged, then--knowing that she could not linger here--she hauled herself up using the tribal staff she held in her right hand, flinching hard when she put weight on her injured leg. Luckily, there was still enough adrenaline suffusing her system to cloud the agony slightly. Groaning, one hand patting the screaming babe at her breast, the other gripping her staff, Amauri set off, dazed, shocked, and tortured by the recent events, hearing the hideous screams again as they followed her, running as well as she could, away from the camp. She thought of nothing but '_Move! Move! Keep going! Move! Must keep going_'  
She continued walking for days. She didn't know how many, for, after a while, time lost all meaning for Amauri. She just kept moving, stopping only a few scant moments to drink, relieve herself, or feed the baby a bit of the nursing substitute her mother had concocted in anticipation of their escape. For her mother was supposed to have come with her, as they had planned in the weeks following her father's death, after he had been publicly drowned by the Clan of the River for being the Commander of the Fighters of the Flame, the People of the Flame's army. In that plan, she and Amauri were to have escaped with the infant to a set of underground catacombs situated beneath the city, and left to find the Silver Circle, which would take all three away to safety.

But things hadn't worked out that way. The Clan had attacked early, leaving Amauri to run with the baby while her mother distracted the mob of enemy soldiers clamoring at the door, demanding surrender. Rather than give them the satisfaction, Amauri's mother, Mirani, had lit the house on fire using her powers, destroying both it, and the men outside…Amauri stopped following her train of thought at that point--always--before continuing on her aimless trek. She could think, wouldn't allow herself to dwell too long, lest she break down, and fall into a pit from which Amauri didn't think she could drag herself again, no matter what was at stake.

Through the fog of misery and depression that surrounded her, Amauri felt a pang of agony from her ravaged leg. The wound, having gone untreated, was beginning to fester, as it became more and more swollen and hot with each passing hour. Amauri began having difficulty walking, unable to clear her sore head, as her body slowly succumbed to fever. She started to hallucinate, believing herself to be chased by enemy soldiers, or seeing her mother's burnt flesh hovering before her in sickening unreality. Finally, her leg began to throb so painfully that Amauri knew it could no longer be ignored.

Pausing in her staggering gait, the girl glanced down and examined the infected wound. The enemy weapons blast had torn into her leg, slashing a deep, agonizing chunk out of its tender flesh, leaving a grossly swollen, and mutilated gash in its wake. The aching hole was oozing a chalky yellow pus, which was inching its way towards her knee, causing sharp shocks of torture as it slid sluggishly downward.

Working quickly, Amauri took hold of her calf-length leather skirt, dyed--like her short chest-covering-- a light maroon shade, and ripped off a large, horizontal strip that left the space just above her knees bare. Taking the crude piece of cloth, she wrapped it tightly around her thigh and tied it off, a bit too roughly, for she winced hard before continuing on her journey, leg emitting piercing stabs of pain with each forced step.

Moving was so difficult now that sweat ran freely down her flushed face, soaking her short auburn hair and stinging her red-rimmed eyes, which looked sunken, and accented her gaunt features.

She kept going, stumbling forward ceaselessly under the backing sun, quivering with fever and exhaustion until, at last, she heard a disturbance of some sort behind her. Frenzied, she glanced around wildly and turned, raising her right hand, switching her staff to her left, as she called upon the furious power of her birth, the passionate inferno within, and released a brilliant stream of fire from her palm, aiming the deadly weapon of her hand toward an invisible adversary. As the flame flew away from her, she let out a hoarse cry of desperation, praying that the tormenters of her mind would just vanish and stop harassing her.

From the mist of heat and humidity ahead, emerged the massive, looming figures of several boulders grouped together, casting small pools of shadow onto the desert-floor.

To anyone else, they would have seemed a grim reminder of the barren, lifeless surroundings, being the only intrusion upon the horizon for as far as the eye could see, but to the starved, traumatized and fevered girl, they beckoned as a place of soothing refuge, of rest. Almost blinded by pain and illness, Amauri all but crawled towards them as though they were her salvation. She was dimly aware of the weakly squirming infant inside the carrying cloak she had fashioned out of a spare blanket and tied around her neck, but she had reached the end of her endurance, and took no notice. It was now time for her to rest without fear, guarded by the imposing shapes, unmoving, before her, to rest for a while, in the hopes or rising up once more. Little did she know she was being watched…


	2. The Watchers and the Meeting

The Watchers and the Meeting 

"Well," quipped the petite, attractive blond woman, as she emerged with her three companions from the lush, green valley path that lay at their backs, and regarding the stretch of barrenly arid landscape that spanned for miles before them, "Think of it this way, Sir--at least there aren't any trees in our foreseeable future." She smiled impishly up at him.

"Very _funny_, Carter," the man beside her, her C.O, Colonel Jack O'Neill, drawled sarcastically, pulling is large sunglasses out of his breast pocket, unfolding them, and putting them on before he moved again, taking the lead of the small group, and still griping.

"Couldn't we, just _once_, end up on a that has a nice beach resort, maybe a little waterfront view, instead of this hot, God-forsaken, much less _uninhabited_, hunk of space rock--What's it called again?"

"P4X-993," the resident archeologist, Doctor Daniel Jackson piped up from the back of the group, adjusting his wire-frame up the bridge of his nose as he went, "And as for it being uninhabited, Jack, we've only been here for about five minutes."

"Yeah, what_ever_," Jack grunted. He turned to Carter, a more businesslike expression on his face. "Report, Carter?" The woman glanced at him quickly as she calibrated the small black scanner she was holding in the palm of her hand. "Well, Sir, the atmosphere here is pretty stable, considering that this whole planet is basically a huge bio-dome. I _am_ getting some slightly abnormal infrared radiation readings, but the M.A.L.P. sensors indicated that it was because the sun is exhibiting signs of going supernova in approximately two to two-and-a-half years, so it's not much higher than we expected. We shouldn't be in any immediate danger."

"Good," was all Jack said, as he pulled the bill of his cap down over his eyes. He paused a moment, and looked around. "Well, Kids, let's get this show on the road. I wanna make camp before nightfall."

The group started out, with Jack and Major Samantha Carter taking the lead, and Daniel and Teal'c, the large, muscular, black Jaffa, bringing up the rear.

That had been this morning. It was now mid-afternoon, judging from the high position of the sun as it beat down on them. SG-1 had been walking for just over two hours, and all four of them were starting to feel the effects of the heat. Jack wiped his sweating forehead with the back of his hand as he gazed ahead. "Hey, what say we take a break for a minute by those rocks up there?" he pointed, "I could sure use some shade." The other three nodded in weary agreement, and Teal'c went so far as to add, "I concur," in his deep, rational voice, as they made their way to the cluster of boulders that Jack had spotted, and settled their things.

"You know, Sir, this may be the perfect vacation spot for you. Whatever mood you're in, just go to the part of the planet that matches." Carter commented in a teasingly casual tone as she shrugged off her heavy backpack and sat cross-legged in the shade beside him. "Except for the tiny, insignificant fact that the sun's going to go supernova. You might not want to be around here for that," she added as an afterthought. Jack, hearing this, grinned sardonically. "Yeah, sure Carter. Whatever you say. Though I'm so hot already I could probably take it." Carter, never ceasing to be amazed by his half-joking, sarcastically arrogant bravado, rolled her eyes and shook her head with a chuckle.

She was just about to retort when someone--or something--came into view in front of them. Jack apparently saw it, too, because he suddenly straightened. Signaling for Carter to follow, Jack hunched over and went quickly around the first boulder, where Daniel and Teal'c were trying to translate an inscription of alien text on a stone tablet they had found earlier. "O. K, Kids, we've got company." Jack said, his voice taut and alert, as Daniel and Teal'c came to join Sam and Jack where they were crouching behind the rock-face, weapons in hand.

The four watched silently as the lone figure seemed to lurch across the ground, swerving every so often, in their direction. "O'Neill," Teal'c warned, his voice low, "The individual is rapidly approaching our position."

"I see 'em, Teal'c, I see 'em." Jack murmured, peering over the top of the rock as the figure abruptly halted and let out a hoarse exclamation, before turning and throwing its arms out. SG-1 watched in disbelief, as huge streams of fireballs seemed to fly out of the person's hands, exploding several hundred meters away from their originator as they hit the ground.

"Holy Hannah," Carter gasped. Jack privately agreed. This was definitely something worth checking out. Man, if only _he_ could do that!

The figure stopped the fireworks and was facing the concealed team again. O'Neill cocked his weapon against his shoulder, ready in case it was needed.

The person was closer now. Jack could see that the individual had close-cropped, auburn hair, and was short in stature, wearing what seemed to be a bulky, very awkward blouse over a maroon skirt-like garment. The person was limping heavily, clutching a long shaft of wood in its right hand and using it for support. Its left hand caressed the area below its chest. The child, for it was much too small to be an adult, seemed unsteady and ready to collapse as it neared the first boulder, put its left hand against it, and turned, maneuvering itself into a sitting position with a small cry of pain through gritted teeth. Once seated, the figure laid its head against the rock, closing its eyes for a moment with a ragged sigh of relief.

Carter and O'Neill exchanged bewildered glances. Should they reveal themselves? As though it knew it was being observed, the child opened its eyes again and looked about warily. At that moment, Daniel sneezed.

The child had struggled to its feet in an instant as the four members of SG-1 stood as well. It leapt up, let out a shrill cry of terror, and tried to scramble sideways, but its leg would not support it, and it fell hard onto its face. The adolescent heaved itself, but could not run again, as its staff lay just out of reach.

O'Neill and the other three ran around to the front of the rock, where the girl, for her features were indeed feminine, squirmed desperately backwards, as though trying to shove herself into the boulder itself, her blue eyes wide in panic, and her voice whimpering in fear.

"Hey-hey…Easy, _easy_! We're not gonna hurt you," Jack said soothingly, lifting his hands out in front of him in an unassuming manner, and crouching down to her level, so that they were nearly face to face. Sam came forward, and murmured above him, "Sir, she's hurt. Take a good look at her right leg."

Jack glanced at the area Carter had indicated, and saw that, indeed, the bandage surrounding the girl's thigh was stained darkly with blood.

It was in the silence of that moment--as even the girl was too petrified to make a noise--that the four intergalactic explorers became away of an odd mewling sound that seemed to be emanating from the inside of the bulky shirt. O'Neill glanced at the girl again, a questioning expression on his face, but her eyes had gone, almost impossibly, wider.

No longer paying heed to the four strangers, the girl reached up, found the knot at the back of her neck, and began, frantically, to fumble with it, silently cursing her disobedient fingers. At last, she had it loosened enough, and brought both her trembling hands up to cradle whatever was making the racket, before tugging the tie undone and lowering her arms--as well as their precious burden--down, to rest in the curves of her lap. Then the child gently unwrapped the small bundle to reveal--

"A baby!" Daniel gasped under his breath, not wanting to startle the girl any more than he already had. Despite his efforts, the child heard his exclamation, quiet as it was, and cast a wary look at all of them for a moment, before returning her attention to the infant wailing pitifully in her arms.

Deftly, the girl placed the little one horizontally across her knees--with its head supported on the left, and its torso draped against her pelvis--and tenderly lifted back the swaddling, so that it--she, Jack amended, seeing that the baby was a tiny, newly born girl--was completely bare in the older child's embrace.

The infant was not at all pleased with this arrangement. She let out an explosive howl that seemed to reverberate off the boulder, the noise impossibly harsh for such a fragile, red-faced being. The whole scene would have been amusing to the four adults had the visage of the young woman not appeared so grim and serious.

The girl, responding instantly to her charge's unhappiness at being taken from the warm cocoon where she had lain since soon after birth, and then thrust into the cold air, completely exposed, started murmuring soothingly, sympathy present in her tone, as she examined the shrieking little one and prepared for the routine which had needed to be done during the journey whenever Amauri's brain had managed to work through the haze of confusion clouding it.

As SG-1 gazed on in interest, the girl lifted the wriggling infant carefully into her hands, freeing the small body completely from its blanket, and did something that none of the four strangers would ever have expected her to do---she started to sing.

The song had no words, but a beautiful array of tones that made it rich in its complexity. The tune was floating softly from her lips, soothing, quiet, and melodically hypnotizing. After a moment, though they were still present, the infant's wails were less forceful, and, taking the cue, the girl set the baby down again.

Her next movements were precise, steady, and done with an air that suggested that she had done this type of thing many times before, as she reached down, and with light fingers, laid them against the side of the infant's neck, pausing a moment, and using the slightest pressure to check her pulse. As the baby started to protest, the girl swiftly removed her fingers again, before bending her entire torso forward and laying her ear on her patient's chest, internalizing the song and humming it instead, to lessen the noise.

She listened for a second, eyes going vague, but then raised herself straight again, so she could examine the infant's abdomen with gentle, probing fingers, feeling beneath them the fragile ribs and soft intestines. She carefully traced the outline of the stomach, touching the area directly below the sternum and resting her entire hand on top, going up and down slowly with every breath the baby took. The infant struggled weakly, tired, and becoming hungry again.

Abruptly, the girl removed her and, and when she raised her face to the sky, there were crystalline tears trailing down her cheeks.

It was clear, even to the most obtuse of observers, that whatever the girl had found out about the little one's medical condition, it wasn't good news, and pained her greatly. By the this time, the child was forced to stop humming in order to fight down a sob by taking a deep, gasping breath, willing herself to quell the wave of hopelessness that welled within.

Unbeknownst to the girl, Jack, Sam, Daniel and Teal'c were sharing solemn glances with one another, expressing their sympathy and concern for the two forlorn children. Still oblivious to the torrent of silent communication going on around her, the girl reached into a pouch at her belt and brought a large gourd into her hand, pulling the thick stopper that blocked its hole out as she did so. Setting it aside for the time being, she shifted the baby closer to her chest and adjusted the blanket until she was partially covered again, before switching the infant to the crook of her arm, with a tender, maternal sort of expression caressing her face. Reaching behind her, she reclaimed the discarded gourd, and tilted it with the burdened hand, using the first two slender fingers of her free hand to dip into the opening and scoop up a bit of the porridge-like contents.

Lifting her hand cautiously so as not to drip any, she held the digits directly against the baby's tiny rosebud mouth, pushing a little to pry the lips open, and allowed the infant to suckle them for several seconds as she continued humming, tears glimmering in her pleading eyes.

Unfortunately, the baby seemed too small and weak even to handle half-liquefied food as of yet. She choked, turning her tiny face away in an effort to avoid being fed again, a squeal of protest piercing the air.

The girl blinked rapidly, murmuring gentle but begging words that SG-1 did not have to understand to interpret, before attempting the same process once more. This time though, the baby saw what was coming, turning her head more forcefully, and it took more effort for the girl to bypass the miniscule lips again. She repeated this practice twice over, and would have done it a third time, but when she went to do it, she found the baby had slipped into a fitful slumber, apparently overtaxed by the mere action of swallowing the few bites that had been fed to her. Tenderly, the girl slipped her pinky finger into the infant's relaxed mouth in an attempt to pacify her and make her sleep more restfully.

Gazing silently down at the dozing babe, the older child returned the gourd to her hip with her free hand, never taking her staring eyes away form the painfully thin burden she held. Without her bulky tunic, O'Neill could see that this girl was as malnourished herself, ribs evident and face sallow-skinned.

All was quiet for a moment, then the girl came back to her senses and gasped in horror, whipping her head up to regard the team again with those wide, terrorized and haunting eyes, seeming to have forgotten their presence until that very instant.

At first, she tried to run again, but could not persuade her body to tense enough for her to rise. What little she did do caused the baby to coo and shift in her blankets. Hearing this, the girl abruptly halted, frozen, uncertain.

Then something in her broke, and what remaining strength she had, fled. She slumped listlessly against the rock, and for the first time, met Jack's gaze fully, letting him see the defiance, weariness and hopelessness within her. Fear played plainly across her features as she regarded them all. Slowly, she crumpled, the façade slipped, and she cried, clinging the infant to her, burying her face into its soft fuzz of hair and rocking convulsively back and forth.

"Hey," Jack said gently, steadily, "It's okay. Nobody's gonna hurt you. We just want to help."

She tilted her yes up and looked at him cautiously, not sure what to believe, her hysteria only subdued by exhaustion.

"So." Jack quipped dryly, in an effort to start a conversation that might lead to more important questions, "What's a pretty girl like you doin' in a desert like this?" O'Neill joked, hoping for some kind of response. Nothing. She continued to stare at him warily, eyes narrowed. "My name's Jack," he tried again, pointing to himself, "What's yours?"

Now the girl's eyes brightened a little as she seemed to sense what he meant. Slowly, movements hesitant, she pointed at herself and said softly, "Amauri." Her eyes traveled slowly around the small crowd, still apparently skittish, but obviously attempting to communicate past the language barrier.

Jack took the initiative. "Ah-mah-ri," Jack repeated sluggishly, stumbling over the foreign sounds of the word. Amauri nodded with a small grin. This exchange was too much for Daniel, who moved forward, excitement evident on his face. "Hi," he said cautiously, "I'm Daniel Jackson, and this--"he pointed at the appropriate person as he said their names, "--is Sam--" (who nodded encouragingly) "--and Teal'c," (who nodded solemnly in greeting.)

Amauri gave a slight nod in response, but the movement triggered a hard spasm, and made her let out an involuntary cry of pain, gasping through clenched teeth several times before she was able to breathe freely again.

O'Neill came forward, hand outstretched, and brow furrowed in concern, "Hey, are you-" he began, but Amauri glanced up and flinched as Jack neared her. "Whoa, take it easy. I just wanna help you, if you'll let me." He locked eyes with her, attempting to convey his concern without words, as she seemed unable to comprehend their language, and vice versa.

Amauri stopped, considered him for a moment, and then tentatively reached out her hand to take his softly. Jack, momentarily caught off-guard threw a glimpse at the rest of the group behind him, watching from a short distance away, before refocusing his attention back on the girl. Then he put his free hand behind him to signal discreetly to Carter, standing at the head of the separated group, who came and crouched beside him. Amauri regarded her with a vacant, stunned, and overwhelmed expression, arms hanging limply around the baby, apparently still there only by instinct.

"Hi there," Carter said, smiling at her, and trying to make a good impression. She got no response. Amauri closed her eyes again, briefly, trying to regain some semblance of control of herself, as the pain seared her body, which trembled almost spastically with fever. Realizing that they had to make her mind stay with them, Jack laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, drawing her attention, with a startled gasp, back to him.

"Look, Kid. I know you're probably scared and hurting like hell right now, so I'm gonna have Carter here take a look at you, O.K? She won't hurt ya, I promise." He paused then added, "Trust me?" His kind, dark brown eyes looked at her intently, a slight frown of worry tugging at the corners of his lips.

From the sincerity in his manner, the girl knew his intentions and knew that he meant it. She glanced at Carted, who also seemed genuinely worried, and gave a small, rasping sigh, before nodding her head slightly in affirmation and bracing herself.

With that, Sam kneeled, extracted the rudimentary med-kit she always carried with her from her pack, and laid it open on the dusty ground. She brought out a canteen of fresh, clean water, a roll of pristine, white bandages, a pair of gleaming scissors, a small tube of antiseptic cream, and a bottle of pills, and spread them all out before her. Amauri watched these preparations, the light of strength in her eyes dimming with each passing instant, face growing pale as her energy ebbed cruelly away. Her arm became unsteady and started to quiver uncontrollably as her jaw clenched, face glistening, evidently fighting to remain conscious.

Sam noticed Amauri's waning strength, and cleared her throat significantly, "Uh, Sir…?" She gave O'Neill a meaningful glance, shifting her eyes in the direction of the ailing girl and back again.For a moment, the Colonel still appeared confused. "Wha---oh. Oh, yeah. Of course."

Finally getting the message, Jack leaned over the girl, and made as if to take the infant from her arms. Seeing his movement, and sensing its purpose, Amauri shook her head wildly, whimpering in protest, and clutching the baby more tightly to her, turning her upper body slightly in what was unmistakably a defensive position.

"Hey, hold on Kiddo, it's O.K, I'm not gonna hurt her, but Carter needs you to stay awake while she works on ya. I'll be right here with her. You'll be able to se us the whole time, all right? I won't move an inch." As he said this, using a quiet, easy tone--so that Amauri would understand that he meant no harm, even if she did not comprehend the actual words-- the Colonel reached over and gently pried the bundle loose from her arms. The baby shifted restlessly, cooing half-heartedly a few times as Jack got it into a more secure position against him. Jake murmured a quiet, "Hey there," as the infant was enveloped in a warm, expertly gentle embrace.

Then he looked into its tiny face and felt his heart flutter. It had been a long time since he'd done this, since long before his son, Charlie, had…Jack gave himself a mental shake, abandoning that train of thought as he straightened and called, "Daniel! _Hey_! Danny-boy!" When he had the archeologist's attention, O'Neill beckoned him over with his chin. "C'mere an' give me a hand." Jackson came at a sprint, with Teal'c following at a walk. "Hey, Jack. What's up?" The brown-haired, bespectacled man pushed his glasses up again as he spoke. Jack waited a moment, regarding him with a wicked sort of mischievous glitter in his eyes that made Daniel nervous. Teal'c silently came up and halted beside him.

"You got any experience with kids, Danny-boy?" Daniel looked uneasy. "Uh, no, not _really_, Jack, why--" With that, O'Neill turned abruptly to Teal'c, "What 'bout you, T, ol' buddy?" Teal'c could do nothing but raise an eyebrow before stating simply, "I have, O'Neill, when my son, Rya'c was a child, but that has not been for several years--"

"Good," Jack interrupted, "Take this little one for me, then, willya?" Without waiting for a response, Jack carefully transferred the slumbering infant from his arms to those of his tall, distinguished friend--who looked slightly startled, but accepted the precious burden without any audible protest, and the graceful air of someone who had obviously experienced parenthood before.

That dealt with, Jack turned as he heard Carter say, "O.K., now, this might hurt a little, but I promise I'll be as fast as I can. Just try and bear with me, all right?" Amauri, biting her lip, nodded wearily, and leaned back, exhaustedly, against the boulder, clenching her fists as they dangled limply on either side of her thighs until the knuckles were white. Admiringly, Jack patted her shoulder, "Good girl."

Amauri slowly turned her suffering, glazed eyes upon him, her face adopting a resigned but pleading expression as she looked at him, seeming to collect herself for what was to come. Then, she launched her arm up to grip his hand painfully in her own. Jack went rigid for a moment at the suddenness of this gesture, but then recalled himself, and used his thumb to massage the back of it gently, in a soothing, circular motion. At the same time, he locked gazes with Carter, and nodded, almost imperceptibly, for her to begin.

The Major responded in kind, adding, "I have to clean the wound, wash away any dirt that may have gotten caught in it," before she raised the canteen, previously uncapped, tilting it slightly, so that its clear, pure contents cascaded down into the laceration. The water flooded the gash, lifting the trapped particles of dust, until it spilled over and dribbled own the girl's thigh, ridding the area of the dried blood and pus which had formerly crusted there, as it went.

To her credit, Amauri's only reactions to the sharp sting that bit her leg as the liquid invaded the infected slash, were a hard flinch and a low thin hiss of repressed agony through clenched teeth. She quickly turned her face away, hiding it from view as much as she could, and doing her best not to scream or cry out. The sheer effort involved was enough to make her eyes water.

Trying to ignore the girl's discomfort and concentrate on what needed to be done to alleviate it, Carter swabbed some antiseptic into the torn flesh, took up the scissors to cut a generous strip off of the roll of bandages, and swiftly began to secure the covering into place.

Amauri had been almost absolutely silent up to this point of the procedure. Now, though, as the Major tried to position the limb so that she could wrap it properly, Amauri's voice erupted from her throat and she let out a tormented yell, despite her efforts to suppress it. The cry was so strident that the girl instantly clamped a hand tightly over her mouth to stifle the noise. Tears of anguish now running freely down her cheeks, hand still gripping her lips, Amauri tried to force herself to breathe normally, to no avail.

Rather than minimize the sound, all the action had done was remind her body of the congestion of fluid that the fever and infection had caused. She began having difficulty drawing a full breath into her starved lungs before it was hacked out of her again, and, though she sensed both Jack and Sam trying to calm her racking body, she knew by her rapidly graying vision and increasing light-headedness, that she was losing the battle with the pain and exhaustion, and plummeting into the black void of unconsciousness….


	3. The Messenger of Fate

"How is she?" A disembodied voice intruded upon Carter's roaming thoughts, pulling her mind once again into the rush of reality. Blinking dazedly, she looked up from where she sat, supporting the slight, limply reclining form propped up against her torso, her fingers combing tenderly through its auburn hair, into the solemn brown eyes of her C.O. Near them, the rest of their team slept soundly. "Not much better, I'm afraid, Sir. I managed to stabilize her vitals and bring the fever down a bit, but apart form that, I'm not sure what else I can do for her. She's suffered a great deal of strain these last few days, Colonel, and her body is clearly not designed to withstand this kind of physical stress. I can keep her going for a little while longer, Sir, but my field supplies aren't adequate to treat the severity of these injuries. Frankly, I'm amazed she even lasted this long without help."

"Yeah, but is she gonna_ make_ it, Carter?"

The woman sighed and tilted her golden head to regard the unconscious adolescent shivering and resting fitfully in her arms before she responded, "I honestly don't know, Sir. If we can get her to Janet in time, maybe, but…Let's just say I recommend that we make for the 'Gate as soon as possible--for both of them." Jack nodded grimly, and rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully.

Things had all started to go downhill after Amauri had blacked out. She had had a very near, very frightening brush with Death, but, thanks to some quick thinking on the part of Carter, had managed to narrowly avoid it. Now she was resting after the terrible ordeal, partially cradled in Sam's arms, as her body fought brutally for recovery.

_'But the kid's got a chance now. They both do, they'll make it,'_ O'Neill reminded himself sternly, turning his attention back to Carter, whose silhouette was fading with the fleeting daylight.

"It's your watch, Carter. I can take her from here."

"Yes, Sir." She complied quietly, waiting until he was seated comfortably before relinquishing the sleeping form from her care to his, standing lightly, and walking purposefully off into the gather dusk, pausing for a moment to check on Teal'c--who had insisted on remaining the infant's caregiver as long as O'Neill and Carter were busy--before going to assume her post.

O'Neill gazed after her for a second until she vanished from view into the mists of twilight, then drew his resting companion gently toward himself with steady hands. As she lay flaccidly against him, he groped in the darkness for his pack and bedroll. Upon finding the large sleeping bag, he undid the tie that bound it, and draped it securely over her petit, quivering shoulders, before lowering both himself and the fevered girl onto the ground. Then he put both arms around the shaking, ill child and pulled her protectively closer to him, sharing his body heat in the hopes that it would comfort her somehow.

He could feel the fire of infection radiating off of her and could clearly detect the rasping of her congested lungs as they struggled to process air through blocked pathways. Carter assured him that the respiratory problems were probably a direct result of the fever raging inside her body, and should clear up after treatment. '_Let's hope she's right,_' Jack thought to himself, watching the orange light of the campfire flicker across Amauri's gleaming face and carefully laying a cool hand on her flushed cheek. In an automatic response, she turned her head to him and shifted unconsciously so that she could curl up against his torso, needing both the warmth he provided and the reassurance of a parental sort of presence in her delusional state. O'Neill, having been a parent earlier in his lifetime--and having dealt with various illnesses as well--fully understood her instinctual need for physical contact with someone whom she believed, in her clouded brain, to be a guardian. He patted and rubbed her back gently, thinking vaguely of what would happen when his team brought the two distraught children back through the 'Gate. He was still thinking of this when he fell into a deep, coddling slumber.

The sound of moaning cut through his unconscious mind at some point during the night, jerking him out of a dead sleep and into full awareness in an instant. For a second, he merely lay still in the dark, as he always did when he was awakened by a noise like that, trying to calmly decipher its source, then opened his eyes, blinking several times to get them accustomed to the lack of light until they focused properly. The sight that greeted them as they acclimated was a heart-wrenching one, indeed. Amauri was writhing wildly on the ground next to Jack, crying out and whimpering pitifully, head thrashing from side to side as she slept, apparently ensnared in a heinous nightmare.

"Qualadria!" she mumbled, her speech slurred, "Miedrio! Ri ah-nai vintiro, azorr! _Ni_, sym-ah ri! _Vintiro!_ _Ni!"_ This last call was an anguished yell of warning to the figures of her mind, and the desperately shrill quality of the cry shook the war-hardened Colonel to his very core, making the hair on the nape of his neck stand on end.

With a blood-chilling shriek, Amauri bolted upright on the ground, muscles tight and breathing shallow as she grappled with the remnants of the horrific experience, eyes snapping wide open as she gasped. Stunned, she glanced around in a frenzy, momentarily unaware of her surroundings, ready to fight or fly. Dimly, she felt someone embracing her, holding her tightly, murmuring quiet words into her hair and rocking her back and forth with tender steadiness. Out of her peripheral vision, she recognized Jack as the one comforting her. Slowly, still shaken and haunted by the last wisps of the nightmare, Amauri turned numbly to him, staring dully ahead as she allowed herself to be enveloped by his strong, capable arms and warm, calming voice, resting her head against his shoulder, trembling violently.

Amauri's tortured cry had awakened the entire camp. The resident infant, who had slept with Sam after her watch had ended, wailed indignantly at the disturbance, and the rest of the party--with the exception of Teal'c, who was on duty--startled by the noise, sat up wearily to see what the trouble was. Now though, as they spied Amauri trembling tensely in O'Neill's arms, heard his words of comfort to her, and divined what had happened, their expressions softened to ones of pity and concern.

Having not yet withdrawn his arms, Jack could feel the frantic pounding of Amauri's heart, could sense the blind, deadening shock to her system as he supported and rocked her inanimate body, gradually alleviating her silent hysteria.

'_You poor kid, you really_ have _been through seven kinds of Hell, haven't you?_' he thought grimly, as he felt her frenzied breathing against him. But all he said aloud was, "It's O.K., kiddo, just wake up, wake up. Snap out of it. It's all right, just take it easy now. You had a bad dream, that's all, just a bad dream. Shhh, you're all right, you're safe now. Calm down kiddo, just take your time. Oh, that's it, 'atta girl, just you relax, just relax." She clutched him still, shaking, as silent tears made clear trails down her cheeks, whimpering under her breath. Her body was taut as she gripped him to her, apparently too stunned to make any audible noise.

Jack continued comforting in this vein of words for some time, using several variations, until he felt Amauri's heart slow and her breathing deepen, as he continued to rock her, the soothing motion relaxing her quivering muscles. Satisfied, he tenderly eased her limp form back to the ground, covering her with his sleeping bag once more.

Gently releasing her from his embrace and withdrawing his arms, O'Neill then got to his feet with a sigh, before wandering over to bask in the warm glow of the fire. For a second he simply remained that way, poised over the flame and thawing his freezing hands, and then he glanced up to regard the two members of his team still sitting around it, Daniel and Teal'c---Sam lay two feet away cuddling with the baby.

"Is all well, O'Neill?" Teal'c queried, voice tranquil, the raised eyebrow being the only outward indication of his concern and puzzlement as he regarded Jack.

"Yeah, the kid's fine," the Colonel assured, sitting heavily amidst a sigh, "just had one humdinger of a nightmare, that's all. Not that I can say I blame the poor girl. Whatever she's seen recently, it sure as hell wasn't pretty."

Daniel nodded and opened his mouth as if to say something, but Jack rushed on, cutting him off, feeling in no mood to endure a twenty-minute lecture at this time of night. "Any idea what this is all about, Danny-boy?"

Daniel looked up, readjusting his glasses before he spoke, "You mean Amauri? _Well_, as far as I can figure, Jack, she seems to be some kind of refugee, presumably fleeing some sort of conflict--"

"Ya think?" O'Neill interrupted sarcastically. Daniel ignored him. "The symbols on her staff suggest a memoir or a record of family history, which could indicate that she holds a certain degree of social, or perhaps even religious, significance in her culture. Keep in mind of course that until we can analyze it further, these are just preliminary guesses, but--"

"Whoa, whoa, _whoa_, Danny-boy, back up there. Religious? As in _Goa'uld_ religious?"

Before Daniel could reply, Teal'c spoke up for the second time. "I do not believe so, O'Neill. If Amauri had indeed acted as a host to a Goa'uld parasite, the symbiote within would have commenced the healing process immediately and remedied the infection by this time. In addition, both Major Carter and I would have likely sensed the presence of an infestation."

"Yeah, you're probably right, Teal'c, but I still want you to keep a lookout for any glowing eyes or psychopathic worms." Teal'c acknowledged this statement gracefully with a nod. Jack stretched, grunted and checked his digital wristwatch.

"Well, Campers, it's late an' I need my beauty sleep. Remember, we leave first thing tomorrow. 'Night." And with that, O'Neill rose with the intention of returning to his sleeping bag, but the scene that greeted him as he turned to do so made him stop dead.

Amauri was awake again, and sitting bolt upright, staring intently off into the shadowed distance, head tilted slightly as though listening for something.

"Amauri?" Jack questioned, cautiously stepping toward her. She didn't move, except to raise her hand abruptly, cutting off any questions and silencing him firmly.

Startled by her terse behavior, O'Neill cast a sharp glance back over his shoulder to regard his two conscious comrades, and felt a rush of satisfaction as he found them already standing, hands hovering near their firearms, prepared for whatever came forth. It was very rare to come across a team so efficient and tuned into one another that they could anticipate their C.O's next orders, and Jack was pleased that he could count his people among those few.

Turning swiftly, O'Neill bent and silently roused Carter, putting a finger to his lips as she awakened and stared blankly up at him for a moment before nodding her comprehension. Instantly alert, Sam rose to her feet, still cradling the infant, her face grim and watchful.With a curt gesture, the members of SG-1 fell into a precise, defensive formation, stances strong and hands brushing their wapons lightly in readiness.

Still, nothing emerged, and no disturbances were heard from the surrounding shadows. No breeze stirred in the darkened forest, and not a single perceptible animal moved.

The five awakened figures continued to wait with baited breath, feeling the adrenaline of anticipation surging through them. Suddenly, there was a gasp from the staid child sitting on the ground, drawing all other gazes upon her.

"Qualadria!" the girl exclaimed breathlessly. "Ni van-iic morr. On varin vhelahn? Qualadria, hanech. Varin joh-heer!" And as though in response to the fevered entreaty, a glorious, luminescent figure glided into view, casting a ghostly glow on the trunks of the surrounding trees.

"_Hel_-lo---uh, guys?" Jack said uncertainty dominating his usually calm voice. "Are you, uh, seein' what I'm seein'?" He looked around at the other bewildered expressions, which stared back at him, wide-eyed, except for Teal'c, whose demeanor changed little in the face of the strange apparition.

"I believe so, O'Neill." Teal'c stated coolly, with the air of someone commenting on the weather. "Thanks, Teal'c," Jack drawled dryly.

"Shhh!" Daniel hissed, indicating with a finger the exchange going on between the huddled form and the phantom spectre that loomed above.

Amauri had risen shakily to her feet, supporting the bulk of her slight weight with the wooden shaft, but still shuddering with the pain that knifed through her. Tremulously, she extended her fingers, reaching out to touch the impossibly brilliant presence, but they went right through the cheek she strove to caress. With a small cry, she jerked her hand back and clutched it to her side. "Mother?" she croaked slowly in her native tongue, greatly fearing for her sanity. "You _are_ here, are you not? I'm--I'm not dreaming?" Tears already started to form, but she gripped the emotion and firmly reminded it of its place, blinking the moisture away.

The tender smile that was her mother's trademark had returned to the face Amauri knew so well, a face she had thought never to see again.

"No, my little fire-bird, dreaming you are not," was the soft reply. Amauri could scarcely breathe for fear of missing a single moment. "Then, my honored, beloved Qualadria, how came you to be here? I had thought you dead, I--I saw you burn. Even _you _could not have survived that--" she broke off, shuddering hard.

The glowing form that Amauri had loved for so long moved weightlessly forward, a reassuringly benevolent smile gracing her radiant face.

"Do not fear, my child. You have not lost your wits. My body _does_ lie with my sister Earth, but only my physical form is entombed there. My essence indeed comes before you, daughter, to bestow upon you both a gift and curse, a privilege and responsibility." Mirani, High Priestess of the People of the Flame, paused, taking her child's shocked expression and glossy, haunted eyes. "Amauri, daughter, be at peace. It agonizes me that you cast the blame of my death upon yourself. I am so sorry that you had to experience it so intimately, but it was not your doing. Nor was there anything you could have done to prevent it." Mirani straightened, adopting once more the ceremonially cool demeanor of the Priestess, the very aspect of her nature that had made her so formidable and respected a leader when she had been in life.

"Now, beloved, dry your tears. There is much to say and little time in which to do it." Amauri nodded, swallowing her questions and uncertainties in order to focus on all that her mother said.

The Priestess noticed her regained composure at once and solemnly nodded her approval, as she recognized that Amauri had shifted from her emotional, teen-aged persona to the one fostered by her rigorous training, the one that portrayed her calmer, more powerful, and more detached side of her nature.

"Good," Mirani said. "Now, child. You still have the crystal, I believe?" "Yes, Priestess," Amauri murmured respectfully, head bowed, tone humble. Unfortunately, the mood was shattered because Amauri's legs were straining to support her weight, slight as it was, and she was gradually collapsing. Finally, the former Priestess-in-training gasped in pain and dropped, with a sharp groan, to the ground. As this was a vital moment, both mother and daughter ignored this change, and continued to speak in the manner dictated by their calling as they had been taught by their lineage from birth.

Somehow maintaining her dignity, the kneeling girl gazed up at her mentor and parent, and waited for her to speak.

"Guard that crystal dearly, beloved. It will help you in your task. For you are not merely the Priestess of the Flame, anointed by my passing, but the sole living representative of The Great Four themselves, until the time when the infant, your sister, is of age."

"_What?_" Amauri gasped, eyes wide. "Mother of the Flame, I do not wish to sound ungrateful, but how--I mean to say--I am unsure of my worthiness for this honor. This has never been done; this amount of power has never been given to anyone, for fear of abuse. How can I, who am not even a true Priestess, do this?"

The senior Priestess's eyes softened. "Amauri, we do not have a choice in this. 'Tis your destiny, as had been revealed to the Grand Council by the Great Ones who came before over two years ago. You are also the only seasoned daughter strong enough to harness these new burdens. The others and I have watched you train, and you are, by far, capable enough to do this duty. And it _is_ a duty, Amauri, a difficult one, but the former High Priestesses will be there to guide you."

"How?" Amauri demanded in a voice that croaked as tears welled. She blinked them back. "You--you're all dead! How can you guide me as you claim when you have all moved on from this life"  
"The crystal that you possess is not merely an ornament, child!" Mirani exclaimed, amusement twinkling in her voice. "It is a tool, one which you will come to rely on as you do air. For inside its crystalline depths lies the secret--it contains a portion of the astral-projected essence of each of the four Priestesses who led our people last. With these spirits comes the ability to converse with them and their predecessors and ancestors. You will inherit a certain amount of their powers, and their assistance will be needed in controlling these abilities, for a single individual could never streamline and develop them so effectively. I, myself, reside within--no, do not speak," for in her shock, Amauri made as if to interrupt, an action that in itself demonstrated the degree to which this news unsettled her, because she never would had even considered doing so if it had been any time in her past.

"Now, this does not mean that this pendant come free of responsibility. This is an extremely powerful energy source; in the wrong hands, the results of its use would be disastrous. Many people would be likely to perish. It is up to you to see that this does not occur. Should you require assistance in this, you need only summon the one or ones from whom you seek aid or counsel, and we will come." Now, Mirani's eyes were somber.

"But know this, darling; in order for us to do so, we must draw on your strength and energy to become corporeal during that period. It is the only way we may be seen and understood by anyone besides yourself. Now, if there is need, it is possible for us to possess your body, but only for a short time, and only if you have given permission. Be aware, however that any of these processes may leave you drained temporarily, so I would advise you not to take them lightly. After we return to the crystal or re-submerge, it is important that you rest and restore your depleted energy reserves, lest you become susceptible to illness. The amulet should help to do that in a more efficient manner. Do you understand all that I have said to you?" Mirani queried, seeing her daughter's glazed expression and now slightly concerned that she might have missed an integral part of the dialogue. Mutely, Amauri nodded.

"Very well." the unearthly priestess said, glancing around abruptly as though startled by something. " 'Mauri, my time on this plane of existence grows short"  
"Mother, no!" Amauri cried, naked anguish breaking her voice.

"Shhh, my child, be still," soothed her Qualadria, reaching out a ghostly hand to hover a centimeter away from her daughter's cheek in a tender way. "It is important for you to hear this. You must trust these strangers. They may behave in manners foreign, but they will guide you and help you to grow in the absence of your Miedrio and myself. I sense that they are good people, and will assist you if needed. In return, I ask that you aid them in what you can, though I suspect you would have even without my encouragement." Mirani paused for a moment, and then added curiously, "Have you named your sibling as of yet, my love? As her only living relative, the duty falls to you."

"Indeed I have, my mother. I call her Jenyra, after the most powerful and protective of our moons." Mirani smiled slightly, "You have chosen wisely, my student. May all your decisions be as sound. You have learned your lessons well, and do honor to our line. I am proud of you." A gentle breeze stirred, drawing Mirani's attention.

"Now, I fear I must take my leave, beloved."

Before Amauri could protest, the former Priestess turned and regarded the four adults, standing in stunned silence nearby.

"You four are brave and intelligent, I can see. Each is a warrior of a sort, strong in his or her own right. Please use your skills to guard my children. My trust lies with you." As she returned her gaze to her eldest daughter, Mirani began to shimmer slightly. "My child, fare thee well for now, and know that I love you. Never forget your people, Amauri. Until we meet again, child, do not forget me, be safe, and be blessed. I love you."

The ghostly form turned suddenly and swept from the clearing, fading gradually into the night with every step she took, until she had vanished completely.

Amauri, recovered from her momentary surprise, sprang forward with a stricken yell, making as if to follow the retreating back, but the instant she threw her weight on the injured limb to take a step, her leg rebelled. She was tossed several feet through the air until she hit the merciless ground with an unforgiving force that knocked the wind out of her. Spots swam in her darkened vision, and for a moment, it seemed impossible to move as she scrambled for clear thought.

Then life returned to her, as she felt herself being rolled over until she was looking up at the star-studded heavens, their depths marred only by the four anxious visages peering down at her.

For an interminable second, Amauri's breath failed her, though she struggled to reclaim her bearings. Dimly, she heard someone above her curse.

"Oh, shit! _Carter!_ She's not breathing!"

There was a sudden flurry of movement, and then someone was kneeling beside her, feeling her pulse, and bending to check the rise and fall, or lack thereof, of her chest.

The figure beside her--Sam, she realized numbly--lowered her head and firmly placed her mouth on Amauri's, whose pallor was now white, with a blue tinge settling across it. A gust of warm, moist air rushed through her, somehow bypassing her locked throat and filling her constricted lungs. Then a gradual pressure lowered slowly onto her chest, steady, rhythmic, insistent, and unwavering. _It must be obeyed._

The pressure mounted, and suddenly, a burst of compressed air surged through the girl's body, forcing its way out of her mouth, and making her cough in a weak wheeze. Automatically, a great and desperate gulp of air was dragged into the deprived lungs, jolting her body back into movement. She sat up, choking, sputtering, and panting wildly, instinctively lunging forward to grasp the wrist of the first person it encountered, which, in this case, happened to be Carter.

"Whoa!" Sam cried out in surprise, and Amauri, realizing what she'd done, released her hastily, before leaning into her again, arms clinging in a frenzied panic.

Sam, for her part, didn't hesitate. "Hey, hey. It's okay, you're all right. Just take some deep breaths, and you'll be just fine. That's it…" She rubbed Amauri's heaving back, and waited for the girl's confusion to subside. Instead, the intensity increased into mild hysteria. "No, no, honey, take it easy, it's okay now…shhh…" Carter murmured, pulling the trembling child away from her again, and looking into the tear-stained face.

Shuddering with even more violence, Amauri abruptly collapsed into an unnatural slumber. Sam caught her and turned the limp body over slightly, holding her breath in dread, but…. "She's just unconscious," Carter informed the others in a sigh, stark relief in her words.

Suddenly thinking of something, the Major laid her hand on the form's brow. "But Sir, she's got the highest temp I've ever felt in my life," she added, sounding slightly alarmed, lifting her clear, green-blue eyes to regard her C.O, awaiting an order of some kind.

Jack was silent for a moment. Then, he sighed and stood, his expression grim and resigned. " All right, campers, change of plans. We leave in five minutes and head for the 'gate. Carter tells me the kid's in trouble, and we gotta get her to Doc Fraiser A.S.A.P. Okay! Gear up and let's move out!"

And so the procession began again, with Jack carrying a limp Amauri, quickly followed by Carter, who was holding the baby. Teal'c took the rear once more while Daniel assumed the lead, using his flashlight to illuminate the ground ahead.

The sun had almost fully risen by the time the group paused and took a break. Canteens were brought out and passed around, and M.R.Es--though there are few things less palatable--were eaten, out of respect for the 'breakfast-is-the-most-important-meal-of-the-day' rule. Conversation was all but non-existent among the four explorers, as each was thoroughly exhausted by now. Jack had spread his uniform jacket out on the dry earth and laid the inert Amauri down on it to rest his aching arms for a while. She slept there now, stirring fitfully every so often, looking, if not healthy, then at the very least less flushed.

"Well, she's lookin' better at any rate," he commented, glancing over once again as the figure gave out yet another whimper. Carter looked up from where she sat cradling the baby. "The fever is lower, but we need to get back before it spikes again. And I'm getting worried about this baby. I may not be a nursemaid, but I know dehydration when I see it, and that is obviously an issue. The sooner we get them to Janet, the better their chances."

Against his body's wishes, Jack heaved himself up again and turned to his team. "Well, you heard the Major. Let's head home."

At that, they all stood. O'Neill carefully reclaimed his burden and made as if to start again, but Teal'c stopped him with a hand on his arm. "O'Neill, you appear to be tiring. If you wish, I will assist the child."

"Nah, thanks, Teal'c, but I think I can handle it." The Jaffa tilted his head slightly in acquiescence as O'Neill shifted the form in his arms, getting a stronger grip.

Suddenly, a cranky, indignant infant's wail pierced the air. Amauri's eyes snapped open, and instinctively, she tried to sit up, still in Jack's arms. "Hey, hang on, no, no, no, no, no, no, _no_!" the Colonel protested, stopping as the girl struggled to extricate herself from his grasp. "Just take it easy now, kid. Lie back down, Carter's got her." All the while, the girl fought, seemingly unable to hear him.

"Oh, fer cryin' out loud!" he muttered exasperatedly, "Carter!" He gestured impatiently with his chin when she looked ahead at him from where she stood a few paces behind, and obediently came forward. As soon as Amauri saw her sister in Sam's arms, she stopped resisting.

"There! See? She's fine!" he snapped, then deliberately softened his tone. "Just--just go to sleep now, willya? Lie down. Please?"

Her gaze now fixed on Jack's face, Amauri demurely reclined once more, with a sigh of exhaustion, turning her body toward O'Neill in an effort to shield herself from sunlight that seemed too bright. As her stinging eyes closed, she heard someone whisper, "Yeah, just rest. That's it. 'Atta girl"  
"O.K, show's over, campers, let's move." Jack readjusted his burdened arms into a more comfortable and manageable position, and strode briskly onward, expecting the others to follow without encouragement. 'Man, _it's hot_,' O'Neill thought to himself, 'Whew!'

As the quiet stretched into minutes with no end in sight, Jack decided to liven things up a bit. "O.K, troops!" he commanded, "Left, left, left-right-left! I can't _hear_ you!" Carter chuckled wearily, and was apparently the only one inclined to answer. "Yessir," she joked as they, as one, picked up the pace a bit.

An hour later, the slightly lagging group arrived at the silent monument of the 'gate, sweating profusely as they prepared to go through. "Danny, dial us home." Jack said casually, looking around easily, and then glancing down at his sleeping passenger. _'Hold on, squirt_,' he thought encouragingly, '_We're almost there. Just hold on a little bit longer.'_

With a tremendous '_Whoosh!'_ the Stargate activated, as the shimmering blue cloud expanded into a great outward explosion and then snapped abruptly back into place, waiting as a welcoming, deceptively calm pool, for someone to step into its infinite depths.

"Alright, let's go. Teal'c, iris code"  
"Certainly, O'Neill."

And so, the four explorers and their two stowaways strode forth into the crystalline abyss.


	4. Home Again, Home Again

_"Unscheduled off-world activation! Unscheduled off-world activation in progress!"_

'DAMN!' thought General George Hammond, Commander-in-Chief of the entire SGC complex, as he leapt to his feet and dashed from behind his desk, 'Now _what?_' He strode swiftly out of his office and bolted for the stairs, compelled onward by the blaring klaxon that blasted his ears and the tense feeling of foreboding that grew in the pit of his stomach. He reached the top steps, grabbed onto the railing, and took them two at a time in his hurry.

Switching into total command mode, he entered the Control Room at a jog. "What is it?" he demanded briskly of the young, female technician on duty, as he resumed his customary position in front of the open blast-doors overlooking the magnificent Stargate. "I don't know, Sir, the--oh--it's all right, I'm picking up a remote GDO signal. It's SG-1, Sir." Hammond felt his brow furrow at the news. SG-1 had only embarked yesterday, and wasn't due back another forty-eight hours. A repetition of his earlier thought flashed through his mind. "Open the Iris, and get a medical team down here, stat!" he ordered, turning on his heel and going down to meet the incoming travelers. He assumed that if SG-1 had returned already, there had to be an explanation, and it had better be a damned good one. The technician's practiced, "Yes, Sir." followed him as he made his way down.

_Cold, piercingly intense darkness, a distinct impression of being 'elsewhere'….. Then, bright light, solidity and renewed awareness of one's body….._

Amauri groaned, shifted, and waited for her muscles to wake up. From close by, she heard a very loud alarm blaring, and, through closed lids, saw periodic flashes of a luminescent red light. Taking a slow breath, she willed her eyes open. The monstrous sight that greeted her sent up a red flag in her brain, and, in a delayed reaction, she gave a shriek of panic. Before anyone could stop her, she started to thrash wildly, flailing blindly, trying to pry herself from O'Neill's grasp. Jack, still slightly disoriented, and therefore unprepared, was thrown off-balance by Amauri's unexpected assault, and though he strained to regain his footing, he could not. He fell backwards, yelling, and hit the mesh steel ramp with an audible _'clang,_' dropping Amauri as he went. She landed just as hard, only on her side, and let out a grunt of pain upon impact.

Then all hell broke loose. Amauri, though stunned by the fall, nevertheless spotted the horde of armed guardsmen that spurted forward on Hammond's command. Taking in only the brandished weapons because of her recent trauma, Amauri raised her hand, eyes wide and frightened. Jack, getting up from the ramp, saw the gesture, and recognized its significance.

"_Jeez!_" he cried, "Hit the dirt!" he yelled, as a great plume of flame shot from Amauri's outstretched hand---and exploded several feet above the men's heads after ramming a wall and scorching it.

Then followed a moment of shocked stillness during which everyone waited with baited breath as the dust settled. "Colonel O'Neill, who or _what _the Hell was _that?_" Hammond demanded after he got over his speechlessness. With a sigh, Jack said darkly. "A very traumatized, very sick little girl did that, General, Sir." _'And I'd bet she's not the only one that's traumatized now, either,'_ he thought, turning around to calm Amauri, but--where _was_ Amauri? "Shit," he cursed, "Where'd she go?"

"Uh, Jack?" Daniel said tentatively, pointing a finger at the ground. Jack glanced down and saw a telltale smear of blood going down the ramp and leading behind the Stargate. It looked as though Amauri had had to drag herself there in her hurry to get away. _'Oh, _no!' O'Neill groaned inwardly. "Colonel?" Hammond asked, concerned by the expression on the man's face. With another sigh, Jack turned toward his C.O. "Uh, General, I think it'd be a good idea to get a medical team down here."

"Already present and accounted for, Colonel." A new voice piped up from the now open door of the room. Doctor Janet Fraiser, C.M.O of the SGC complex, entered, followed closely by several others wearing white lab-coats and wheeling gurneys. Her suit was crisp, her sandy brown hair pulled back in a loosely attractive bun and her manner utterly professional as she strode purposefully for the waiting group. "What've we got?" she asked crisply, then stopped short at the sight of the bloodstains on the floor.

"What happened?" she breathed, brown eyes softening slightly before she turned to the Colonel, more businesslike. "Sir?" Rather than answer her directly, O'Neill silently signaled for her to follow him by crooking a finger, which she did, turning the corner at his side.

They found Amauri huddled in a tight crouch against the far wall, her injured limb splayed sideways before her, clutching her good leg to her chest with both arms and whimpering quietly into her lap. The way in which she was rocking back and forth told O'Neill that she did not realize she had company.

He exchanged a quick glance with the Doc, whose expressive eyes mirrored his own concern, before he stepped forward hesitantly. "Amauri?" he called softly. She jerked her head up and stared at him with a frenzied look on her face as she tried to wedge herself further back into the corner. But she knew at last that she had nowhere else to go , and so she held herself painfully still instead, wariness pronounced on her features.

"Whoa, take it easy, Kiddo. You know me. It's Jack, remember? I'm not gonna hurt you," he coaxed, stepping forward once again. This elicited an abrupt reaction from Amauri. She whipped her already seared and blistered hand in front of her, and held it forth, like a shield. The next words she spoke were incomprehensible to both adults, but were filled with desperation--and a warning.

"Hey, watch where you're pointin' that thing!" Jack said quietly, still trying to calm her. "_Jack_," she rasped, her voice rough and frightened, but her eyes determined. "Okay, _okay,_ I'll stay away. But no one's gonna hurt you, ya know? _Relax_ a little." As he had been talking, Janet had come up alongside him. "Colonel, does she understand what you're saying?" to which he replied, "_Oh,_ yeah, she definitely understands." he said without turning his head.

Amauri looked at him a long moment, eyes filled with distrust again. She lifted her hand, but this time to point at the crowd of waiting guardsmen--whom had not yet been told to stand down by General Hammond--asking something in a questioning inflection as she did so. The words might as well have been gibberish, but their meaning was clearly, "What about _them?_"

Jack turned to look over his shoulder and back again, "Who---_them?_ Nah. I know they look pretty scary with those big guns of theirs, but they're actually really nice guys. Most of 'em are good friends of mine, as a matter of fact."

Amauri hesitated for a second, undecided, then the terror she had been battling descended upon her again, and she winced. "_Ni_!" she cried, pulling herself back into the fetal ball, shaking.

"Oh, fer _crying _out _loud_!" Jack murmured exasperatedly, rising. He went over to the General and said, in a quiet, confidential tone that only Hammond could hear, "General, she's really skittish. I think we might have more luck getting her to come out if there weren't thirty guns pointed at her." With that, O'Neill turned and raised his voice, "Lower your weapons, you won't need 'em. She's friendly, just a little freaked." None of the addressed did anything but glance uncertainly at the General. "You heard the man!" Hammond barked, a bit impatiently, "Do it."

With a flurry of precise, honed movement, the barrels of the guns went down, and as one, the assembled airmen stepped back, though none of them looked any the more at ease because of the change.

Swiftly, O'Neill nodded his gratitude, and, bringing himself back to the nerve-wracking scene, turned to business again. As he strode over, he spied Janet leaning forward, her countenance one of compassion, and trying her hand at diplomacy.

"Honey?" Amauri considered her, curiosity mingling with caution as she attempted to discern whether this new, feminine yet commanding presence was friend or foe.  
"Sweetheart, you're very sick, and that wound looks bad. If you come out, I could treat you and your little friend, but I can't help if you won't let me near enough to do anything. Please, it's okay. Don't be afraid---let me help you." So far, the tactic was unsuccessful.

"Here, Doc, lemme give it a shot," Jack mumbled so quietly that Amauri could not detect it. He turned towards the cowering child, and squatted down to be on level with her. "Look, Kiddo, those guns--all gone, see? You're safe here. No one here is going to chase, hunt, or harm you in any way, I swear. If you let us, we can help you. You don't have to be scared, Amauri." Then he looked about conspiratorially before adding, "If I were you, I'd listen to the Doc. She's a smart lady and she knows what she's talkin' about. Trust me. She can make it so your leg feels three-hundred percent better." Amauri looked doubtful. "No lie," Jack continued. "She can fix you up and help the baby. What do you say?" He could see her resolve wavering and gave a little extra push. "Trust me. I won't let anything bad happen to you." The girl looked close to tears, but slowly shook her head, her fear plain on her face. O'Neill didn't give up or get annoyed. "Come on. Here, Kiddo, take my hand." This he extended in reassurance, and for hers he waited.

Amauri's huge eyes stared at him, then traveled slowly up and locked onto his fierce, patient, gentled warrior's gaze. She gripped it with her mind, maintaining the contact as though it were a lifeline that would keep her from falling, or her courage from faltering.

Focusing on his visage alone, and ignoring all other activity, Amauri thrust herself forward enough to snatch his outstretched hand, but though she did her best to heave herself to her feet, she could not. She groaned shrilly as her weakened, bleeding leg crumpled beneath her, and she swayed dangerously. Securing his hold, the Colonel stooped to meet her, jerking her quickly toward him as he caught her and swept his arm behind the girl's back to curl protectively around Amauri's waist. This served the dual purpose of holding her upright and supporting her weight, as well as allowing her to reclaim her dignity.

" 'Ere we go," Jack grunted, pulling her up, " 'Atta girl. Hang on, I got ya." She clung to him with one arm as Janet took the other, and the trio made their slow and awkward progress on to join the assembled group, Amauri's gaze still darting around warily, as she hung back out of nerves. The others ahead moved aside, clearing a path as Jack neared them to allow him access to the gurney on which he could lay Amauri. "O.K, kid. Ready?" Without pausing for a reply, O'Neill renewed his grip, said, "One, two, three!" and lifted Amauri up to rest on the padded metal surface.

By this time, the girl was looking pretty out of it, but she tracked the Colonel with her eyes as his gently pushed her flat and helped Janet to adjust her legs until they were straight. "There," Janet whispered, "Now." She glanced at Sam and the General, and then at her team. "Let's get these two down to the infirmary." O'Neill made as if to step away to give them room, but at that moment, Amauri's arm lunged out to seize his hand, pulling him closer. Over-bright, glazed orbs gazed plaintively up t him. "Jack," she whispered. She said nothing else, but the word, '_Stay_' rang clearly in his mind. The girl seemed awful; her face was pasty, lips gray, eyeballs flitting in her head under fluttering lids. But despite this marked deterioration, her purchase on him remained strong.

He looked startled, and glanced questioningly at Janet. "I guess you'll be coming with us, Sir." she said, smiling gently. Jack's eyes met the General's, and his Commanding Officer silently nodded his permission for O'Neill to accompany the entourage down to the Medical Wing.

Before taking their leave, the procession of the good Doctor, her orderlies, the Colonel, Major Carter, and, of course, the two patients--one traveling via a gurney, the other carried--readjusted themselves around the metal cart so as to be able to make the best amount of headway in the halls. With the dual intention of facilitating the progress of the little band and placing herself where she could discreetly examine the patient, Janet took up the position directly opposite Jack's. To her slight surprise, Fraiser found that she was being watched by the prone figure on the mobile bed, but the girl's expression as she observed the attractive physician wasn't one of fear so much as one of drowsy curiosity, as though she were too drained to be afraid anymore. The Doctor returned the gaze and gave a small, reassuring smile as the group started off--rumbling, it seemed--down the corridor.

Not for the first time, and surely not for the last, Amauri wished she could communicate in the alien language, because she really wanted to know where they were going, but it would take several days for her to amass enough vocabulary, gleaned from overheard conversation, to make herself properly understood. So, seeing as she could do nothing else, Amauri let the strange crowd cart her off to wherever they were headed, while she took the opportunity to inspect those around her.

The Chief Medical Officer had gorgeous, softly sculpted features, offset by expressive, coffee brown eyes that looked just as capable of glaring as they were of showing tenderness. She had fine, gently arched eyebrows, and the pleasingly calm, clear-headed demeanor that was often needed in her profession. She had an honest face and pretty smile that seemed to give off waves of empathy to someone in dire straights. Yet, the most amazing thing about her was not the personal, sympathetic bedside manner she exhibited, nor the steadiness and certainty with which she guided the gurney, but was, instead, the sense of authority that positively radiated off of her short-statured, graceful personage. She knew precisely what she was doing the entire time, and unconsciously made it clear to everyone in the way she moved. Amauri could hardly help but feel drawn to this formidable woman.

Asharp flash of pain startled Amauri out of her musings as the gurney rolled a little too roughly over a small bump that preceded the entryway. The moment of discomfort must have been readily apparent on her face, or perhaps she had let out an exclamation of which she was unaware, because Janet glanced at her swiftly before commanding to those ahead, "All right, take it slow, people. We don't want to jostle her any more than we have to." She then reached down to touch Amauri's shoulder lightly. "Don't worry, Honey, it's not far now. We'll be there soon." Even as she watched, the girl's eyes rolled dangerously for a moment before she regained her bearings and nodded slightly to show she understood.

Finally, after what seemed like eons to Amauri, the gurney was gently pulled to a halt in the middle of a room, which, judging from the row of neatly made, vacant beds and the gleaming surgical and diagnostic equipment that was visible throughout the space, was the infirmary. Fraiser had the orderlies stop at the side of the nearest cot. "Colonel, if you would, please," she said, taking up one end of the sheet upon which Amauri lay and gesturing him to take up the other. "Sure," Jack acquiesced with a slight shrug before doing so. "O.K," Janet ordered, that air of authority palpable around her, "On my count." Their grips tightened on the sheet, Amauri's heart constricted. "One, two, _three!_" with a single decisive movement, O'Neill and Fraiser lifted the sheet, along with its occupant, off the cart and transferred it smoothly to the softer more comfortable hospital bed.

The girl's head lolled as she was moved, her brow breaking into a sweat, and a weak breath of a groan escaped her lips when she was set down. For a moment, Amauri's eyes drifted shut in relief but opened again when Janet asked, "Okay, can you tell me your name, Honey?" For a time, Amauri just looked at her, trying to persuade her lips and voice to function. She finally managed to rasp, "Amauri," a gesture that seemed to exhaust her greatly. "Hi, Amauri. I'm Doctor Fraiser," Janet said as she began pulling out her stethoscope and adjusting it over her ears. Amauri struggled to say the name with which this woman was identified, "Doc--Doctir Fay--Fraizir?" She asked.

"Doc-tor Frai-ser." Jack supplied, exaggerating the syllables to make it easier for her to pronounce. She tried again, and came up with an approximation even less accurate than any of the previous attempts. "Okay, well, what about Janet, then, instead? Would you mind if she called you by your first name, Doc?" O'Neill quipped, throwing her an amused glance. Janet grinned, "I think I can live with that. Just lie still," she coaxed, looking back at the girl, but she had her eyes closed again. "So much for the stethoscope." Janet said dryly, reaching efficiently out with the first two fingers of one hand to check her pulse manually at the wrist instead.

"Uh-oh, she's got arrhythmia! O.K., let's get her hooked up to the monitor, _now!_ Give me a hand!" Janet ordered the two ever-present nurses, taking charge of the situation. The two medical aides set to work at once, while Janet sterilized a syringe to take a blood sample.

Once the machinery was operational, the Doctor came up beside Amauri's inert figure and reached for her naked forearm. The girl roused slightly as the needle pierced her skin and the blood was drawn, but she made no move to open her eyes. Janet kept her attention on the patient as she handed the full vial to the assistant awaiting it. "Take this to the lab to be analyzed and screened. Get the results to me A.S.A.P."

"Yes, Ma'am," replied the bio technician, and she hurried from the room. This done, Fraiser turned to the concerned Colonel by the girl's bedside. "Her heart rate is still a little irregular… " She trailed off, thinking. Abruptly, she turned to the remaining nurse. "All right, get me--uh-- .1 CC of Eppi! Let's see if we can't get her pulse to even out a bit." The aide nodded and readied a syringe. She then moved to the girl's side, found the appropriate vein on the surface of Amauri's elbow, and curtly slapped the tender spot, using two fingers to increase its visibility. She administered the injection and then stepped back, allowing Fraiser to take over as the aide faded into the background once again.

Expertly taking the cue, Doctor Fraiser turned slightly to regard her anxious C.O, whose features were taut with worry, and whose demeanor was dark and brooding. "All right, Colonel, I think it would be easier for everyone involved if we did her M.R.I and C.A.T scans before she regains full consciousness. Judging from her adverse reaction to the Gate-Room, I doubt that she'd take kindly to waking up and finding herself strapped to a table, being scanned by a chamber that she knows nothing about. As it is, this wound looks pretty clean and well-wrapped. You said that Sam did this?" She turned to glance at Carter, but it was O'Neill who answered with a nod, "Yes, Ma'am, that she did," he quipped, hoping that he sounded more at ease than he felt. The unchanged gravity in Janet's expression told him that he'd failed.

"Well, it looks good at any rate. I think re-examining it can wait a few minutes." Fraiser gazed at one of her nurses. "In the meantime, why don't you give this little one a preliminary exam and then see if you can grab some infant formula from supplies? I'll pick up some more tonight, after I finish working on these two." Fraiser gestured to the children. The nurse agreed quietly, before starting to fulfill her task. Then, with a decided air of purpose, Janet turned to the Colonel and second aide, who had since returned from her errand by this point, and said crisply, "Right. Let's go do those scans."

With that, she summoned several orderlies to push the hospital bed down the hall and strode out of the infirmary, as O'Neill, with a final, bracing glance at Carter, followed close behind.


End file.
